Tik Tok Docs: Why Gen Z is turning to DMs over MDs

Research & Discovery

Tik Tok Docs: Why Gen Z is turning to DMs over MDs

The phrase “doctor’s orders” does not hold much weight with Generation Z.

from communications firm Edelman found about 45% of respondents ignore advice from trained medical professionals, choosing instead to trust their friends or family – most of whom were born between 1997 and 2012, squarely in Gen Z territory.

illustrative portrait of Stefanie Sequeira

Stefanie Sequeira is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Virginia who studies adolescent development and mental health. She said it’s important that young people know to question emotionally charged online content. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University of Virginia)

In the survey of more than 16,000 people aged 18 to 34, across 16 countries, 38% said they rejected doctors’ guidance in favor of information from social media.

The growing influence of “crunchy teens” – social media-savvy young people who are hyper-focused on wellness and sometimes tout questionable theories – has also emerged.

Stefanie Sequeira, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, said teens have long been thoughtful skeptics, and questioning authority is a healthy and essential part of their development as they seek autonomy and independence.

“When we think back to movies about teens in the ’80s and ’90s, so much of it is about teens kind of rejecting authority and challenging the establishment,” Sequeira, a clinical psychologist and expert in adolescent development and mental health, said. “I think it’s encouraging to some extent to see teens questioning what they’re being told in different spaces and questioning established norms.”

‘They're really susceptible to peer influence’

Sequeira thinks of adolescence as a period from 10 to 24, starting with the onset of puberty. She said it’s a time of significant maturation, with physical changes and brain, social and emotional development.

“We know developmentally, adolescents are really tasked with figuring out who they are, developing a unique identity separate from their parents and families in the context of these peer groups that they are entering,” she said. “They're really susceptible to peer influence. We know that there’s increased brain responsivity to peer feedback during this time.”

When you add social media to the mix, suddenly teens’ peer groups explode far beyond the size of their middle and high schools. Suddenly, their social standing is measured in numbers – likes, followers, friends and views – adding a new layer of pressure and visibility.

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“And it’s just this whole new realm of social status that youth can use to evaluate themselves and evaluate other people. And youth are professionalizing this,” Sequeira said. “You can amass hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers and make a career out of that. And many youths are doing that.”

‘Watch out for emotionally charged content’

So, what is the solution? How can young people navigate that environment at a time when their brains – and the decision-making skills need to exercise caution – are still developing?

In her practice, the clinical psychologist says she always tells teens to be extremely careful about emotionally charged content. “Question, ‘What is the purpose here? What is the intention here? Is this content designed to make me feel fear or feel other really intense emotions?’” she said. “What is this person's intention behind cultivating these emotions?”

It’s tricky, Sequeira says, because creators and influencers create online identities that make other young people feel close to them. “They feel like, ‘Oh, I have some kind of relationship with this person,’ which could make them feel like I can trust what this person is saying.”

The other piece is the algorithm. “So, if you are watching somebody, they’re saying something that you think you agree with and you’re spending a lot of time on, then you’re more likely to get more content that’s confirming that. And it might be confirming something that’s maybe not accurate,” Sequeira said. “That’s what you’re seeing again and again.”